Incandescent-lamp tester



I J. GRAVES.

INCANDESGENT LAMP TESTER.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 16. 1920.

Patented Apr. 4, 1922.

onirsn stares PATENT OFFICE,

enn spawns, or MADISON, isconsin, ASSIGNQR r0 rnnivcn arr 00., or MADISON, isconsin, va CORPORATION 02? Wisconsin.

BY a cannon INCANDESCENT-LAMP TESTER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 4

Application filed January 18, 1920. Serial No. 351,908.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN Graves, a citizen of the United States, residing at Madison, in the county of Dane and State of Wisconsin, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in incandescentLamp Testers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to mechanism for testing electric light bulbs, preparatory to sale and especially for testing miniature lamps, commonly used in connection with portable flash lights, it being now common practice for all sorts of stores to carry stocks of batteries and lamps forsuch devices.

The object ofthe invention is to provide a convenient lamp testing equipment which can be applied like an ordinary drawer in the front of a "lamp, and battery sales'-cabinet now commonly in commercialuse and used either when in position in such cabinet without being removable therefrom or as a separate instrument for convenient use.

The invention consists in means for carrying out the foregoing objects which can be easily and cheaply made, which is compact in form, efiicient in operation, and not readily liable to get out of order. More particularly, the invention consists in features and details of construction hereafter more fully set forth in the specification and claims.

Referring to the drawings in which like numerals represent the same parts throughout the several views,

Figure 1 is a face perspective view of the lower portion of a battery and lamp sales cabinet now in commercial use, having the mechanism of this invention in its preferred form applied thereto ready for use without removing it from the cabinet.

Figure 2 is a plan view of the mechanism of this invention removed from the cabinet, certain parts being shown in section.

Figure 3 is a rear view of the device seen in Figure 2.

Figure 4 is an end view taken on the line 4-4, Figure 3, showing the lamp to be tested in assembled testing position.

The lower portion of the commercial battery and lamp sales cabinet 10 has a drop door 12 exposing the batteries 14 and other equipment to be vended. Across the lower portion of such cabinet 10 and just inside the door 12 there usually happens to be a horizontal extending recess 16 and into this the device of this invention is inserted in such a way that its front plate 18 and adiacent end lug 22 looks, to an ordinary observer, as though it were a drawer slidable 1n and out of the cabinet. The specificembodiment of the invention hereshown is all carried on and concealed bv this front plate 18. i

Extending from the rear of :plate 118 are two end lugs 20 and 22 and an intermediate lug 24 so located that the space or recessQlS between the lugs 20 and 24 is of pinpoilength for an ordinary dry cell portable battery 28. One terminal battery .30 bears against a metallic plate 32 fastened to the adJacent edge of lug 24 by any suitable means, as for instance screw 34, while the other terminal-the metallic end .36 of the battery-1s engaged by the compression sprlng 38 carried through and extending from lug 20. Electricallyqconnected to the outer end of this spring 88 is a conducting and supporting rod 40 leading past. the bat tery 28 to the side or? lug 24 where it is electrically connected to a metal plate 42 having angularly extending from it a contact or terminal end 44 adapted to engage a central terminal, as hereafter described.

This terminal 44 is for protecting purposes located in a compartment or recess 46 between the lugs 22 and 24 and its end is located opposite the lamp inserting perforation 48 in the wall of member 18 so that when an electric lamp 50 is inserted through this perforation, as shown in Figure 4, the central terminal 52ireadily engages and contacts this member 44. Contact plate 82, heretofore referred to, has electrically connected to it a wire 54 which is led into the recess chamber 46 where its end 56 of more or less spring material closely embraces the border of perforation 48 with the result that when the lamp 50 is inserted. as shown in Figure 4, this end portion 56 contacts with the outside terminal 58 of the lamp. From the foregoing, it will be seen that the lamp 50, when inserted as shown in Figure 4, completes an electric circuit through the battery with the result that the lamp, if in good order, is lighted, thus showing to the operator that it is in proper condition for sale. The spring wire 56 is of such a character that the lamp 50 may be shoved into place, as shown in Figure 4,

1. In a device of the class described, a

by direct pressure, the wire 56 clicking over the screw threads on terminal. 58 or the lamp may be rotated in place in the ordinary manner.

The unitary structure of Figures 2 and 3 may be left in place, as shown in Figure 1, in the cabinetlO and the lamp tested by insertion and removal therefrom in that position or the structure may be moved entirely from the cabinet and held in the hand of the operator in any part of the room he may elect. In doing this, the wire 40 serves a more orless essential function by'acting as a retaining device for the battery 28 to insure its not dropping out of recess 26. The device is usually of such a size thatthe fingers of the operator may be readily passed entirely around the mechanism at the battery, thus insuring its remaining in place under all conditions, while the end portion containing the chamber 46 is readily accessible for lamp testing. 7

The mechanism of Figures 2 and 3 may be sold with cabinet 10 or it may be soldas a separate article of manufacture to be used in connection with cabinets, previously sold. The battery 28 is instantly removable from the device by Withdrawing it sideways from the member 14 against the resistance of spring 38.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

plate member resembling the front of a drawer of a cabinet perforated to receive the terminals of a lamp to be tested, lugs on the back of said plate spaced apart to form V a lamp receiving chamber and a battery chamber, means for detachably securing an electric battery in the second chamber, a pair of electric terminals in the first chamber adapted to be connected together by the lamp inserted. in the perforation and means connecting each of said terminals to one terminal of the battery.

2. In mechanism of the class described,

a front plate member having on one side spaced three projecting lugs forming two compartments; one for terminals, the other for a battery; a contact plate in the battery chamber adapted to be engaged by one ter-' minal of the battery, a contact spring in the other end of the battery chamber for witnesses.

' JOHN GRAVES.

Witnesses E. J. MCEACHRON, O. J. Pnnnasom'. 

